Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess: Childhood Friends
by FallenAngel2298
Summary: 2. Ilia and Link have been dating for some time before his adventure. When she regains her memory, he is overwhelmed with joy. Unfortunately, after he defeats Ganondorf, new problems arise... LinkxIlia, Ilink. Contains explicit sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll take this opportunity to remind you that this story ends in a lemon. If this offends you, or if you are under eighteen, you should probably navigate away from this page. Of course, if you're under eighteen, you probably don't care about any warnings I give you, and may even be annoyed by it, but I feel the obligation to do so anyways.**

_Prologue_

Link crawled through the tunnel into the Spirit's Spring in Ordon Province. Zelda stood there, talking to Colin. After a short conversation, Colin walked towards the entrance to the spring, giving them some privacy.

Ilia put her arms around Link's neck.

"Link... I love you. Please come back soon."

"I will."

"Are you sure?"

"Did I ever break a promise to you?"

Ilia's surprise was betrayed by a sharp intake of breath. Those were the same words he had spoken to her when she had first confessed her love for him and he had accepted her. Then he had promised never to stop loving her; she responded that he need not say something like that; plenty of fish in the sea and all that. Then he had stared deep into her eyes and uttered those words. "Did I ever break a promise to you?" Then he had kissed her for the first time. The memory was etched into her mind as though it were carved into stone.

But this time she responded.

"No."

And this time it was her that kissed him. At that moment he decided he would never allow her to come to harm. No matter what.

And then disaster. King Bulbin attacked, kidnapping the lot of them and rendering Link unconscious.

_Telma's Bar_

Link entered the bar, and saw her. His heart rose in his chest, She was all right! She was safe! He could take her home to her father! He ran to her and embraced her. But she pushed him away.

"Sir, I don't know you! You're too forward!"

Shattered. Emptiness. His soul was gone.

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Kakariko Village_

She looked at the medallion. She looked at him. Then at the medallion again. Then back to him. Her eyes shot wide open.

"LINK!"

She ran to him and kissed him. But this kiss was different. Her tongue sought his lips, and his mouth went open in surprise. She used the opening to explore his mouth, and he responded eagerly. The feeling of their tongues together elicited a moan from her. Then they stopped, remembering where they were.

"C'mon."

Link muttered this command into her ear.

"But wait a few minutes before going outside. Then come out through the south entrance." She nodded.

With that, he said aloud:

"I've gotta go give your father the good news!"

And he ran out of the building. After five minutes of talking to her excited friends, she said,

"I think I'm going to the Zora's grave... it's peaceful there and I need to hash out my memories. Please give me a pillow and some blankets, and I'll spend the night there."

Renato nodded and gave her the bedding. After she stepped outside, he spoke.

"Leave her alone tonight. She is probably very confused at the moment, and will need a lot of peace and quiet to heal her mind."

_Outside the village_

After going to the graveyard to put down the blankets, she exited the village and found Link around the corner on Epona. He pulled her up behind him, and they rode off into the night.

They came to the bridge over Kakariko Gorge. With a quick reassurance to Ilia, Link dismounted and engaged the bokoboblins there. Bokoboblins. Stupid, slow, and unskilled, wielding simple wood clubs. Hardly dangerous enemies. Link caught the first one from behind with a decapitating strike. The second one swung its club way around behind its head, leaving itself wide open for a thrust deep into its chest. The third one managed to get a single strike in – bouncing off the Hylian Shield – before it took a slash across the throat.

Link returned to Epona and mounted in front of Ilia. In a ravine briefly ahead, they encountered two more bokoboblins, whom Epona merely trampled into the dirt. Five hundred pounds of muscle and bone moving at thirty miles an hour tended to keep you down for a while. The bokoboblins at the entrance to Faron Woods met with a similar fate. One was trampled, the other took a sword to the throat as Epona thundered by.

Soon they came to Link's house outside Ordon. When they came up the ladder, they practically pushed each other inside, kissing again and again. They didn't even bother going up to his bed, so engrossed were they with each other. Kiss after kiss they shared, reveling in each one as if it were a gem. It was not long before Link hooked a finger under Ilia's shirt, a question in his eyes. She kissed him again and then discarded the item of clothing. Her bra followed quickly after it. He stared at her relatively small breasts and pert nipples, and then he looked up at her again and spoke.

"Holy shit, Ilia... you're absolutely gorgeous."

She went completely red and covered herself with her arms.

"Hey, hey, you're not gonna stop this because you're embarrassed over a simple compliment, are you?"

He turned and stepped towards the door. Then he felt her hand on his shoulder, and she spun him around and into another kiss. Heh. It worked. Whaddaya know. Then he noticed that his sword and shield, along with both their respective footwear, were piled neatly in the corner. When the hell did that happen? Oh well. More importantly, she was still kissing him, and was now in the process of taking off his shirt. He raised his arms for her to pull it over his head, and, after she had done that, she began to remove her pants. Then she looked up at him, curious at his inaction. Her cheeks flared up again as she spoke.

"H-hurry up... we don't have all night... someone could look for me in Kakariko any minute..."

Link fumbled with his own trousers and removed them. Ilia wasted no time staring at him, and immediately knelt to begin stroking him. Tentatively, she delivered a lick to his head, then, seeing the effect this had on him, plunged him into her mouth. She pulled her head back and forth, her fingers curled around the base, and it was not long for his groans to rise.

"S-shit... Ilia... I'm coming..."

And come he did. He felt himself explode into her mouth, and then his vision went fuzzy. When it cleared, he watched her closely, waiting for her to spit it out. After about fifteen seconds, it dawned on him.

"You swallowed all of that?"

"Of course."

"I can't believe you managed it, that stuff must be nasty as shit!"

"Recall, Link, that you're the only one on a post-orgasmic high. I'm not finished yet."

Noting the lustful look in her eyes, Link saw that it was true. Grinning mischievously, he spoke.

"Well, I can't let you down then, can I?"

"You'd better not."

By tacit agreement, both started up the series of ladders to his bed. Link began to rue that particular design flaw; having a bed that you needed to climb ladders to reach kinda killed the mood.

When they reached the top, Ilia turned to Link and gave a command.

"Take me. However you want."

Link considered asking 'Anything? Really?' with a devilish look, but he decided not to waste any time like that. Lifting Ilia, he laid her on the bed and spread himself over her. This was primarily so that he could kiss her during the act; he loved the feeling of her amazingly soft lips. His thought process was interrupted by Ilia speaking again.

"I swear, if you go quickly before I give you permission, I will murder you."

Link chuckled at this. He knew full well what she meant, and he meant to tease her for it. Pressing himself against her gently, he pushed himself in millimeters at a time. Between moans, she spoke a third time.

"Dammit, Link, you understand perfectly what I meant. Stop teasing."

"Yes, your highness."

Ilia frowned at him.

"I would really prefer to avoid hearing you say anything that could be related to Zelda at a time like this. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure."

In reality, Link probably could not have kept teasing her much longer. He was too hard and too lustful, and now followed that instinct. Faster than before, but still fairly slowly, he pushed himself all the way in. When he felt himself pressing against her hymen, he stopped for confirmation.

"Ilia, you know that if I go any further, there's no return. We could stop this here..."

"Link, please tell me that was a rhetorical question."

"No, I'm serious! I'm worried that it's just the lust talking."

Ilia did not answer, but she gripped his thighs and forcibly pulled him in further, breaking the barrier. She immediately tensed and screamed his name, then, after a moment, relaxed, panting. She looked up, her eyes begging him, and told him how she felt.

"I made my own decision a long time ago. Now, please, Link, do your part. I've wanted this for so long..."

Something in her tone and in the look she gave him was incredibly arousing, and Link abandoned whatever reservations he had previously. His pause seemed to have given her plenty of time to adjust, and he began thrusting into her. He was timid at first, and then began to grow in confidence. He shoved himself in harder and faster, enjoying the feeling of her extremely tight walls around him.

"Ah, ah, fuck me, ah, Link..."

Ilia's moans and screams were intensifying and he realized that she was coming close to a climax. He decided to honor that with longer and faster pulls, though he himself was not yet near orgasm. He wanted her first climax from him to be great. And so it seemed to be, since she was now shuddering.

"AH! LINK!"

This final outburst was much louder and more passionate than any preceding it, and it marked the drenching of his rock-hard erection in her own orgasmic juices. He decided to pause briefly, since she seemed completely out of breath. He smiled at her.

"Did you enjoy that?"

Even though he already knew the answer, the question was not entirely rhetorical. He legitimately wanted to hear her praise him, as he suspected it would be even more arousing. And he was right. In between gasps, she told him what she thought of it.

"Oh, Link, that was fucking amazing..."

Link got off her and stood up. He pulled her around so that she lay flat on her back, legs spread, while he stood above her. Placing his member once again onto the entrance to her womanhood, he had but a single question to ask.

"You ready for more?"

"I already said this before, but I'll say it again. I hope that was a rhetorical question."

Link decided not to bother with foreplay or banter, and merely shoved himself in again. He was now slamming into her at full force, and, from his new angle, admiring her fit body. Her face was twisted in effort; mouth wide open, eyes shut tightly.

"Ah, Link, that's perfect, keep going into that spot, ah, please, fuck me harder..."

Link was incredibly aroused by the sound of her strained voice, and that spurred him on to greater efforts. He was now going fully in and out with each thrust, and going as quickly as he could force himself to. He began to come to the realization...

"Ilia, I'm coming again!"

"Not in me!"

This panicked shout was breathless, but intense. She actually did want him to come inside her, but she was smart enough to realize that it wasn't worth it just for the feeling of his semen in her. Obedient to her command, Link managed to pull himself out of her – barely in time – and came onto her stomach.

"Ah – ILIA!"

This last shout of his was enough to make her come again. Screaming his name at the top of her lungs, she shuddered as he collapsed onto her.

With the last of his breath, Link managed to poke fun at her.

"You get to wash the sheets later..."

"Ha, maybe you could help too, you know..."

They barely had time to share a last kiss and pull the blanket over them before the afterglow dragged them both into sleep.

**I really liked how this one turned out, and I hope you did too. The only reservation I have off the top of my head is when I mentioned the capture of Colin, Ilia, and Link at the Spirit's Spring. It seemed hurried to me, but that's when I wanted the event to occur, and I didn't want to describe an event in detail that happens only five minutes into the game. You get me? So, I'm sorry about that.**

**Before you ask, no, Midna was not there for Link and Ilia's sexual encounter. Link asked her to give them their privacy for the night when he was waiting for Ilia outside of the village.**

**I really, really like this story so far, so even though this chapter could easily stand as a oneshot if I wanted, I think I'm going to continue it. I got some extra naughty ideas while writing the lemon, but I thought they would be a bit odd for a couple during their first time, so there will be another one at some point.**

**I'll break Midna and Wolf Link to Ilia in the next chapter. I think she will take it well, knowing her. Well, unless he decides to transform all of a sudden to surprise her. She'd probably be mad. Oh well, who knows what the future will bring? =)**

**Fallenangel287 out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is possibly my favorite thing I've written so far. I think I'm getting the knack of what I want Link and Ilia to sound like, and I have very high hopes for this story.**

"Psst. Hey, Link. Wake up."

Link awoke to Midna poking his cheek. He greeted her, keeping his voice down.

"Hey."

"So, how'd it go?"

"Notice how I'm naked in bed with the girl I rode off with last night?"

"Of course, though I'm trying to ignore the first part there."

"I'd say that means it went pretty well."

"Teehee, are you going to tell her about me?"

"Yeah, pretty soon after she wakes up."

"You think she'll be okay with your wolf form?"

"Yeah, she likes animals, so hopefully it will go over well. Hey, she's waking up. Better leave or hide in my shadow."

Midna hid herself in his shadow as he bent to kiss Ilia. She opened her eyes.

"Good morning, my dear."

"Morning, Link. But, if it's okay, don't call me 'my dear'; it sounds too formal."

"What endearments am I allowed, then?"

"Ilia, for everyday use. My Love, for special occasions. And My Beloved, for moments when you're perfectly, incandescently happy."

"Well then, my beloved..."

He kissed her on the neck.

"My beloved."

He kissed her on the cheek.

"My beloved Ilia."

He kissed her on the lips, causing her to close her eyes in pleasure. But now he was down to business, as they cleaned themselves up, dressed, and began washing the sheets.

"What shall we say happened last night?"

She grinned, obviously pleased with herself.

"I left a note in my blankets back in Kakariko that said, 'I went with Link to Ordon to see my father'. If they find it in the night – which I doubt – they'll assume that I caught you on your way out. If they found it earlier this morning, or are finding it now, or whatever, they'll assume that you came back for me early in the morning. To cement that, I'll go see my father now. And if they found the note in the middle of the night, and mention it to Dad, who won't have seen me until this morning, we'll make up some story about me falling asleep on Epona and you putting me up for the night in your house."

Link shook his head.

"You sure planned ahead, didn't you?"

"Indeed I did."

She was grinning as she said that.

"Now, let's go see Dad."

Later

After Mayor Bo had gotten over his ecstasy over Ilia's return, Link made a suggestion.

"Ilia, why don't you go see the other families and tell them how their children are doing?"

"Yes, boy, that's a great idea! They're all really worried about Colin and the rest, so you should go reassure them, dear!"

"Yes, father!"

As Ilia left, Link took Mayor Bo aside.

"Mayor Bo, I'm almost done with the adventure that I'm on at the moment. After I'm done, I'm thinking about asking Ilia to marry me. Would you be okay with that?"

"Link, I'd be honored to have you as my son-in-law, but aren't the two of you pretty young? Sixteen is a bit too early to make a decision like that. I would want you to wait a few years before marriage. I am okay with you two being engaged this early, but you can't marry her until you are older. At least twenty, I think. Besides, Link, if you save the world, the people of Hyrule will love you. They'll expect Princess Zelda to marry you, won't they?"

Link laughed.

"As wonderful as the Princess is, I couldn't leave Ilia. Besides, me being King would be pretty much a nightmare, wouldn't it?"

"Haha, boy, you might be wrong there. I think that the fact that you don't want to be King, and think you'd do a bad job, is the biggest sign that you'd be a good one."

"Perhaps you're right."

Link didn't really agree with him, but he said this to mollify him. He wanted to move on from this topic, as it made him uncomfortable.

"I'll go along with Ilia. I think she plans to go back to Kakariko after this, so I'll take her there."

"Keep her safe, alright, boy?"

"Of course, sir."

Link took off to find Ilia. She had more or less finished up with reassuring the families of the children, and was ready to leave. But before they left, Link brought her to the Spirit's Spring.

"Ilia, I have a few things to tell you. First, I've gotta introduce you to Midna."

"Who's Midna? And if you're introducing me, where is she?"

"Well, just so you're not surprised, Midna is an imp that has been living in my shadow for the duration of my journey. C'mon out, Midna."

Midna jumped out of his shadow and shook hands with Ilia.

"How do you do? I'm Midna, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Midna."

Link was relieved that Ilia seemed unfazed by this. Perhaps her ordeal with the boblin king had left very little to surprise her. But perhaps he spoke too soon, as she looked worried. Red-faced, Ilia had something to ask.

"Wait, if you are living in Link's shadow, were you there for..."

"No, of course not! I wouldn't spy on a thing like that! That's between the two of you, it's too personal. No, I left while Link was waiting for you outside Kakariko."

"O-oh... sorry..."

"Well, now that we've got that cleared up, I've something else to show you. You know about the twilight, right?"

A nod from her signaled that he should continue.

"Well, humans turn into spirits in the twilight. I wouldn't be much use to the world if that happened to me, so when I entered the twilight, the Triforce of Courage turned me into a wolf instead. Then some stuff happened later, and now I can do it pretty much whenever I want. Do you want to see?"

Ilia was a little bit taken aback by this.

"S-sure, I guess... wait, when you're a wolf, do you... become a wolf mentally?"

"No, I'm still me. Figuratively speaking. I still have my own mind."

"Then sure, show me."

Link reached for the magic in his mind and made the transformation. Ilia stared as he bent over and assumed a lupine form. After a moment, she giggled at him.

"Most wolves look vicious and scary, but you don't. You look friendly and cuddly!"

She promptly picked him up in her arms, surprising him.

"Oof, you're heavy! Wow, you're warm and fuzzy, though"

Wolf Link began a rolling, coughing growl. Ilia was somewhat surprised and worried by this, and looked at Midna for reassurance.

"That's how he laughs in wolf form."

Ilia looked down again at Link just as he transformed back into a human. She was carrying him bridal style, and he put his arms around her neck.

"Oh, Link, please carry me away and take care of me forever!"

This last line was actually Link, speaking in a falsetto voice. Midna immediately dissolved into laughter, rolling over and over in the air, bent over and clutching her stomach.

Ilia, who was likewise amused, stuck her tongue out at him and dropped him on the ground.

"Ow... that was worth it, though..."

"You're such a child sometimes, Link."

"You loved it, stop pretending."

"Oh, whatever. Let's get ourselves out of here."

"Straight back to Kakariko?"

Link said this in an intentionally overly provocative tone, grinning roguishly at Ilia.

"Well, not necessarily."

Ilia used the same playful voice as he did, causing Midna to groan in disgust.

"I swear, if you get knocked up, I am so not helping you in any way."

**Yes, for those of you that have read or seen the movies Jane Austen's books, the scene where Ilia is telling Link what he's allowed to call her is modeled after the similar scene in Pride and Prejudice. My girlfriend made me watch it with her a while back, and when she read the original scene I'd written, which was pretty different, she said something like, 'ohmygosh you have to make it like Lizzie and Mr. Darcy!' So I did, to the best of my memory.**

**In this story, Link doesn't need Midna's help to transform. He can use the magic on his own, at will.**

**That's all I can think of for now. Fallenangel287 out.**


	3. Author's Note

_**Poll on my profile! Should I finish this or "What if Link lost?" first? GO VOTE!**_

Hey, all. Yeah, I missed my due date, because, well... let's just say I've been SO MOTHERFUCKING BUSY. Leave it at that.

Sorry about it, anyways.

This is going to be on hiatus if it loses the poll.

Oh yeah, before I forget. When I put up 'possible Zelink content later', I really meant 'Zelda proposes to Link and he refuses'. But I've got some _fuckin' naughty_ ideas since then. What exactly do I mean by that? YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT!

To Yazzle: I'm aware that that particular scene was blunt and poorly done. That was intentional. Not because I thought it was better writing, but because it wasn't important enough of a scene to me to make a real effort for it. Plus I was tired. Make of that what you will. No, I won't be re-writing it, before anyone asks. I just wanted to get it over with, so I did. And now it's done.

Fallenangel287 out.


	4. Chapter 3

**As a bit of a side note: I was re-playing Skyward Sword, and I noticed the scene near the beginning where Groose and Link are facing off, and there's a lot of very emphasized pointing for no apparent reason. I didn't think much of it on my first playthrough, but this time I remembered something as I was watching. Pointing with the index finger in Japan, and in most Asian countries, for that matter, is pretty much the same as flipping someone the bird here in America. I'm surprised to see that in a Nintendo game. Hey, the more you know...**

Midna disappeared into the portal, the Mirror of Twilight shattering behind her. After a few moments of silence, Link sighed and looked at Zelda.

"I guess we'd better get going."

"Why, Link, I had imagined that you would have reacted far worse than that at her disappearance."

"Wait, you expected that?"

"I had guessed it. It was the only thing to be done. Zant was able to cast her down and use the portal to attack Hyrule before she could act to warn us or destroy the Mirror to prevent him. Who can say for sure whether another could do the same?"

"I suppose it makes sense, when you put it that way. I guess the reason I'm not sad is because I don't really believe in my heart that she's gone for good. I don't really believe that there's no other way to get to her."

"I understand precisely what you mean. We shall find a way to reach her and rejoin her. But there are other matters for us to attend to at the moment. Do you not forget something?"

"I don't think so, no."

"Ilia, you almighty fool! Surely she desires greatly to hear news of your victory over Ganondorf. Did you not tell her that you were to meet him in combat?"

"I did. You're right, she must be worried sick! But how the hell are we gonna get out of here now that we can't warp back? I can't exactly call Epona across the cliffs and through the desert."

**(A/N: I always wondered what they did after the end of Twilight Princess. I decided to make it up.)**

"Come." Zelda turned and led him to the chamber in which he, Link, had fought Stallord, the Twilit Fossil. Turning to the remains of the dragon, she called out in an ancient dialect, issuing a command that went something like this:

"I call up on thy might, ancient defender of our lands! Thou hadst pledged thy allegiance to my ancestors. I call upon thee, and command thee to fulfill thine oath. Awaken and do my bidding!"

Even as Zant's black magic had flooded Stallord, creating glowing red eyes, so Zelda's magic filled him with a golden power and gave him those very golden eyes. He spoke in an immensely loud, deep voice that gave the impression that it had multiple layers.

"Canst thou prove the lineage to which thou hast laid claim?"

In answer, Zelda raised her hand, displaying the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"It is well. Wherefore didst thou call me? What wouldst thou have of me?"

"I have called thee to reclaim thy position as Hyrule's guardian. Rise now, Fire Dragon Volvagia!"

And rise he did. Even as she spoke, the dragon's bones shuddered and flesh formed around them. Skin, bone, muscle, and scale melded together to remake the fearsome monster of old. Ancient and majestic, the enormous creature curled around the two of them.

"I accept your charge. What dost thou wish of me?"

"I must needs away to Hyrule Castle. Wouldst thou bear me hence?"

"I would. Bringst thou the other?"

"Yes."

"Away, then, to thy palace. Climb thee onto my back, and I shall carry thee." 

_Two weeks later_

Ilia, Zelda, and Link stood together in the eastern garden of Hyrule Castle. It had taken some doing to convince everyone that Ganon and Zant had really taken over the entire country without their knowing, but they managed. During that time, Link had been too busy consolidating the princess' control over the country to bring Ilia to meet Zelda, though he had of course gone to see her to tell her of his victory. Ilia was just meeting Zelda for the first time (though of course Link had told her of the princess before), and here is where we pick up our account.

Ilia instantly disliked Zelda. Maybe it was the fact that Zelda was the only person in the land who could rival Ilia's beauty. Maybe it was the wistfulness in Zelda's expression when she looked at Link. Maybe it was the reverence in Link's voice when he spoke to the princess. Ilia, of course, did not cognate any of this; she merely knew that she definitely did not like her. Nevertheless, she curtseyed sweetly (for it would be an enormous gaffe to not do so).

"It's a great honor to meet you, Lady Princess."

Zelda motioned for her to rise. "Nay, the honor is mine."

"I must disagree with you, Lady Princess. Few poor farm girls ever get to meet the ruler of their country, especially face-to-face."

Zelda smiled, appreciating Ilia's courtesy. She held no malice for Ilia; she did not actually view her as a rival. "Please, Ilia, address me as Zelda. I do not wish to be addressed so formally by my friends."

"I'm honored that you call me your friend. But it's hard for me to presume such familiarity with such a great person."

"You jest, Ilia. Any... _friend_ of Link's is mine also."

The significance of the pause went right over Link's head, whom had been a silent spectator to the conversation. But it was not similarly lost on Ilia, who was not pleased that Zelda was trying to talk down her, Ilia's, relationship with Link.

"You're right, Lady Zelda. Any friend of my _lover's_ is mine too."

"Then I am glad to meet you and call you friend." Dismissing Ilia as a matter of concern, Zelda turned to Link. "Link, have you had time to hear the talk of the common folk around the land?"

"I haven't, Lady. I've yet to have a moment to myself, or for anything, really."

"Then I shall have to tell you. Put quite simply, Link, the people wish us to marry."

"...!"

"You would not, of course, disappoint the people, would you?"

"Zelda, I can't marry you."

"Why? Am I not a suitable bride? Do you resent me?"

"You know full well that my heart belongs to Ilia."

"Link, the kingdom will destroy itself if you do not marry me."

"Milady, you're exaggerating."

"I am not. If you do not marry me, the people will not understand. They will assume that there is something awful about me that deters you and will no longer trust me as their ruler. Nothing will happen immediately, but the seeds will have been sown. The next time the kingdom has a great trouble that I cannot fix, or when I must make a new policy that they dislike, there will be great dissent. No one of them believes me ugly, so they will not believe that there is a drawback to marrying me. A beautiful wife, riches, power... any of the men in the kingdom would jump at the chance, and I do not believe myself to be 'ringing my own bell'. They will say, 'The man who marries our queen will be rich, powerful, and have a beautiful wife. Why, then, would the Hero of Time refuse to enter into a marriage with her? Surely our queen has some great darkness about her that frightens him away'. That is the first sign of a rebellion. Nothing that any of us can say or do will change that."

Ilia had been speechless for a few moments, but was now completely ready to join in. "There's no way that there could be such repercussions for failing to marry you. You're just making that up because you want Link for yourself."

"Ilia, I can give only my word that I have no such motivation."

An unbiased person would have no trouble accepting a person's word of honor (for it is the only right thing to do, isn't it?). Ilia, however, was already suspicious of Zelda, so it is perfectly legitimate that she would disbelieve Zelda's claim to innocence.

"I can't believe that, Zelda."

But then Link had something to say. He had not yet accepted that he was being truly fought over by two beautiful girls, so all he could do was deal with unrelated issues.

"Ilia, there's no reason not to use an honorific when speaking to your monarch. No matter how annoyed by her you may be. Subtle snipes like that are in no way worth the potential repercussions."

Now she whirled on him. "You're taking her side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

"That's just as bad!"

He turned to Zelda, his eyes begging her. She did not, ostensibly, acknowledge him, but rather said, "Surely you require time to consider. Go. You are both dismissed."

Link took Ilia's hand and fairly ran to his suite of rooms in the palace. Once there, he merely stood, waiting for her to speak.

"You're going to marry her, aren't you!"

"I have no intent to pick her over you. I couldn't say that to her face, obviously. But what she said did trouble me. She's right. If I turn her down for you, it will spark dissent. Just a little, since I'm not flat-out rejecting her for the sake of it – I have a legitimate reason; I'm in love with you – but it will be there, and it's a bad sign for any ruler. People are never satisfied with their government. All they pay attention to is the fact that they have to pay taxes and fight in a war. I haven't taken their money or conscripted their sons. Both Zelda and I have saved the entire country – her with diplomacy and me with my sword – but I'm the one they view as their hero, simply because I'm not the one demanding things of them. For the next few years, I'll be more influential than Zelda herself, at least until my actions are no longer a novelty.

Ilia was only partially placated. "You're sure you have no feelings for Zelda?"

"I... I'm not, actually."

"WHAT."

"Look, we fought together, she saved my life, she's beautiful... how could I NOT have feelings for her?"

"..."

"Hey, if I intended to do anything like what you're thinking right now, would I have admitted that to you?"

"I... I guess not..."

"Exactly."

"So you're not going to marry her?"

"Well, I don't know what I'm going to do. It seems kind of selfish to put an entire country in danger of future rebellion just for my own love life..."

"Oh, come on. You refusing to marry her wouldn't spark some kind of instant, up-in-arms rebellion. You are both being ridiculous."

"Of course it wouldn't. But it would start people thinking. And if anything ever came up that was blamed on her, it would play a major factor in any uprising that might occur."

"But you would have turned her down because you were in love with another woman. Surely, they'd accept that."

"You have no idea how stupid populaces can be sometimes."

"B-but you still love me more, right? It's entirely because you're worried about the country, right? Nothing to do with preferring her to me?"

She looked fearful of the answer. He realized that, despite her immediate defensiveness around Zelda earlier, she really was an enormously innocent and trusting person. "Yes, of course."

I'm sure of that... right?

Right?

Oh, goddesses.

**This story is just getting into the drama. You probably thought that this was gonna be a straight-up LinkxIlia, didn't you? NOPE.**

**Okay, so I just got done doing some extensive messaging with an author friend of mine who has been getting some major flames on one of her stories. She was literally crying because of what people said in reviews and PM's. Now, this girl has a history of depression and has considered committing suicide at several points in her lifetime. She also has anorexia, showing you even more how much she cares about what other people think. I was able to calm her down, but that's beside the point. The moral is this: DO NOT, FOR ANY REASON, INSULT A PERSON'S HARD WORK. You have NO IDEA what their situation is or what they've been through. You have NO IDEA how they might react to what you have to say. I'm going to preserve her privacy – and, upon her request, have removed her story from my favorites list so that you can't find out who it was – so you'll just have to take my word for it. Again, I digress. Seriously, there is no need to mindlessly insult someone, especially when it has to do with something they've spent lots of time on. Suggestions? Yes. Constructive criticism? Yes. Vague, general insults? ABSOLUTELY NOT.**

**Please, if you run into a story you don't like, and you don't feel like giving polite, specific advice on how to improve it, just do what I do: navigate away and forget it. No reason to make a person feel shitty when you don't have to. Again, you don't know how much it could mean to them. And it costs you nothing to leave them alone.**


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